Trump Nominates Cornyn's Chief Counsel for Federal Trade Commission

WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump on Wednesday nominated Texas Sen. John Cornyn’s chief counsel Noah Phillips for one of three vacancies on the Federal Trade Commission.The Trump administration first announced last October it intended to nominate Phillips for one of the three Republican seats on the commission. Before serving as Cornyn’s chief counsel, Phillips was in private practice.“A talented lawyer and dedicated member of my staff, Noah’s extensive work on the Judiciary Committee will serve him well in this role,” Cornyn said in a news release. “He will be a big asset to the Commission, and I’m proud to support his nomination.” Trump sent the Senate four other nominations for the FTC. Three would fill existing vacancies, while the fourth would replace current Chairwoman Maureen Ohlhausen.The FTC oversees antitrust law and pursues claims against companies believed to have defrauded consumers. Only three of the five members can be from the same party. Three seats have been vacant since February of last year, and the remaining Democratic and Republican members have been unable to break a 1-1 tie since then. It was the first time since the commission was founded in 1914 that there have been three vacancies.Trump himself has a history with the FTC when he was ordered him to pay a $750,000 fine for after the commission found his acquisition of stock in 1986 violated federal disclosure rules.If confirmed, Phillips, who is from Maryland, would serve through 2023.  Continue reading...